Help with 1/72nd Kits

[RJ-WobblyHands]

So coming back to modelling after a small break (35 years!) - as I said in my 'hello everyone post'   the newly tooled airfix B-17g sort of got me back into building small plastic models - this time with a theme, my 1st theme is WW2 US aircraft stationed in Essex after the friendly invasion of 42/43.

 

After some research I have compiled this list - I just need to find the kits. The only B-26 Marauder B/C kit I can find is the Hasegawa combo kit with the P-38 - but according Hasegawa's site it is out of production.

 

So my question to you modelling guru's have I got the following list correct, I am building the Airfix P-51D as my 1st modelling attempt since it is inexpensive starter kit (it may get updated later with a different kit), though the H&S CRplus Evo airbrush added a couple of pence to the modelling experience so far  

 

Aircraft types	Model Kit
P-39H  P-38J	Hasegawa
P-47D	Tamiya
P-51B	Revell ?
P-51D	Airfix
A-20G Havoc
A-20J Havoc	Revell
A-26B Intruder	Italeri
B-26B/C Marauder	Hasegawa
B-17F	Revell
B-17G	Airfix

Edited April 4, 2017 by RJ-WobblyHands
Oops - Corrected P-38J Lightning not P-39 my typo

[NealParkes]

Hi, 

 

That is a nice little project you have there, I think that starting with an easy build like the Airfix P-51 is a good choice. There is a very helpful website that you may find helps you find kits that you need it is called https://www.scalemates.com, you can search their database and then filter results by scale.

Anyway I look forwards to seeing some of you builds in the future.

[malpaso]

KP have recently released a P-51B in 1/72 which is rather nice.  You would probably have to mail order unless you have a more specialist model shop locally.

Cheers Will 

[Tbolt]

I would go MPM for both your A-20's, though I have a feeling the Revell kit is the MPM kit reboxed anyway.

 

Just noticed your are missing the P-47D.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Tbolt

[Graham Boak]

The MPM is the best A-20G: the Revell A-20J is just a variant of this.

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Tamiya don't do a P-47C, they only do a P-47D in Razorback and Bubbletop varieties and there are differences between a P-47C and D. I think AZ/KP might be releasing a P-47B/C at some point. I'm pretty sure Hasegawa don't make a 1/72 P-39 and I don't recall a P-39H, do you mean P-39N? If so the easiest bet is the Academy kit.

 

The best P-51B is either KP or Academy. Valiant wings make a book about the P-51 and review all the available kits (prior to the KP kit) and the rate the Academy kit as best (they get the leading edge kink mostly correct, which many others don't). The KP one is nice but they don't include drop tanks or drop tank racks.

 

Revel A-20's are reboxed MPM kits, so either brand is fine. The Academy B-17 is worth considering, it looks a simpler kit than Airfix or Revell, which have a lot of interior detail, of which most can't be seen.

 

There is a vendors section below the main forums on here and it would be worth your while looking at them and comparing prices of various kits. One of the vendors is Kingkits, if you can't find the B-26 available 'new' Kingkit might have a 2nd hand one.

 

thanks

Mike 

[Tbolt]

6 minutes ago, Mikemx said:

Tamiya don't do a P-47C, they only do a P-47D in Razorback and Bubbletop varieties and there are differences between a P-47C and D. I think AZ/KP might be releasing a P-47B/C at some point. I'm pretty sure Hasegawa don't make a 1/72 P-39 and I don't recall a P-39H, do you mean P-39N? If so the easiest bet is the Academy kit.

 

The best P-51B is either KP or Academy. Valiant wings make a book about the P-51 and review all the available kits (prior to the KP kit) and the rate the Academy kit as best (they get the leading edge kink mostly correct, which many others don't). The KP one is nice but they don't include drop tanks or drop tank racks.

 

Revel A-20's are reboxed MPM kits, so either brand is fine. The Academy B-17 is worth considering, it looks a simpler kit than Airfix or Revell, which have a lot of interior detail, of which most can't be seen.

 

There is a vendors section below the main forums on here and it would be worth your while looking at them and comparing prices of various kits. One of the vendors is Kingkits, if you can't find the B-26 available 'new' Kingkit might have a 2nd hand one.

 

thanks

Mike 

 

Very easy to convert the Tamiya P-47D to a C if your doing an aircraft with the retro fitted bugled keel though. I would love to see a P-47B kit as that's quite a bit of work to convert from a D.

 

I didn't even notice it said P-39H, I read it as P-38H which is what I'm guessing RJ meant.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Tbolt

[AWFK10]

Airfix made a Marauder. It's old but has always been considered one of their better kits and although it's OOP it's available secondhand. There would also have been second line aircraft types flying into the airfields: I don't know about Essex specifically but there used to be a website about RAF Glatton (now Peterborough Business Airport but a B-17 base in WW2) with some nice photos of visitors like USAAF Vengeance target tugs and Norseman light transports.

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

2 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

 

Very easy to convert the Tamiya P-47D to a C if your doing an aircraft with the retro fitted bugled keel though.

 

I didn't even notice it said P-39H, I read it as P-38H which is what I'm guessing RJ meant.

 

If it's a P-38H then Hasegawa don't do one them either. Hasegawa do the J/L but I'd rather make the Academy J. RS Models make a P-38H but I don't know how that compares to the Academy and Hasegawa kits.

 

One thing I meant to say was what many people have found out already, is that Academy decals are general pants unless you get an Academy kit with cartograf printed decals.

 

thanks

Mike

[RJ-WobblyHands]

10 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

I didn't even notice it said P-39H, I read it as P-38J  which is what I'm guessing RJ meant. - Correct ty

Edited April 4, 2017 by RJ-WobblyHands

[Graham Boak]

I don't think any of the active units had the A-26 while still in the UK.  They converted after moving to France.

 

There are a number of 8th/9th AF types omitted, but as I can't say whether any of them flew from Essex bases  I can't be sure of them for your collection.  I presume that you would have mentioned the B-24, but how about the Spitfire, fighter and PR?  F-5 PR Lightnings?  A-20B/C in the early days of the 8th AF?  Ditto the P-39 working up for Torch?  If you are also intending to include non-combat aircraft then there were Tiger Moths, Masters, Defiants, Oxfords, Dominies, even the odd Hurricane and (probably) Ansons early on.  Later these were replaced by Texans, Norsemen and other US types.  Plus the ubiquitous C-47.

 

RS models are among the best short-run kits, and should be worth considering once you have a couple of kits under your belt.  I don't know how their P-38 fits together - I can imagine that the twin booms may be fiddly but perhaps that's just me being over-cautious.

[RJ-WobblyHands]

I was having a fat fingered senior moment lol  

 

I did mean P-47D Thunderbolt (probably both bubbletop and razorback) and P-38J Lightning

[Tbolt]

18 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

I don't think any of the active units had the A-26 while still in the UK.  They converted after moving to France.

 

There are a number of 8th/9th AF types omitted, but as I can't say whether any of them flew from Essex bases  I can't be sure of them for your collection.  I presume that you would have mentioned the B-24, but how about the Spitfire, fighter and PR?  F-5 PR Lightnings?  A-20B/C in the early days of the 8th AF?  Ditto the P-39 working up for Torch?  If you are also intending to include non-combat aircraft then there were Tiger Moths, Masters, Defiants, Oxfords, Dominies, even the odd Hurricane and (probably) Ansons early on.  Later these were replaced by Texans, Norsemen and other US types.  Plus the ubiquitous C-47.

 

RS models are among the best short-run kits, and should be worth considering once you have a couple of kits under your belt.  I don't know how their P-38 fits together - I can imagine that the twin booms may be fiddly but perhaps that's just me being over-cautious.

 

I've had a quick look, but can't find a base that had B-24 based there in Essex at the moment, they all seem to be B-26's or B-17 for the bomber groups. Good call on the PR aircraft, would b e good to throw on or two into that collection.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Tbolt

[RJ-WobblyHands]

2 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

I don't think any of the active units had the A-26 while still in the UK.  They converted after moving to France.

 

There are a number of 8th/9th AF types omitted, but as I can't say whether any of them flew from Essex bases  I can't be sure of them for your collection.  I presume that you would have mentioned the B-24, but how about the Spitfire, fighter and PR?  F-5 PR Lightnings?  A-20B/C in the early days of the 8th AF?  Ditto the P-39 working up for Torch?  If you are also intending to include non-combat aircraft then there were Tiger Moths, Masters, Defiants, Oxfords, Dominies, even the odd Hurricane and (probably) Ansons early on.  Later these were replaced by Texans, Norsemen and other US types.  Plus the ubiquitous C-47.

 

There was only 1 Heavy Bomber Group based in Essex - RAF Ridgewell  - 381st BG Triangle - L and they only flew B-17's , Shame as I like the B-24 Liberator a lovely aircraft

 

Most were Medium Bomber Group squadrons flying Marauders and Havocs , I will do a little more digging , i thought the A-26's came before their european deployments 

 

Yes if I include the Eagle Squadrons of US volunteers based out of North Weald /  Debden they started as an RAF badged squadron flying Spits and Canes before becoming the 4FG flying Spit MkV's and then migrating to P-51's

 

C-47's were temporarily based in Essex for Operations Market Garden and Varsity...

 

I dont want to scare the boss with a list the length of my arm ... and that is quite long !!

 

[RJ-WobblyHands]

My research came up with this list of bases and aircraft, this is what I am working too

 

RAF Andrews Field		322d BG (Medium)	B-26B/C
RAF Boreham	JM	394th BG (Medium)	B-26B/C
RAF Boxted	BX	354th FG / 56th FG	P-51B / P-47
RAF Chipping Ongar	JC	387th BG (Medium) /	B-26 / C-47's
RAF Debden	DB	Eagle Squadrons /4th FG	spits / P-47 /P-51
RAF Earls Colne	EC	323rd BG (Medium)	B-26B/C
RAF Gosfield		410th BG (Light)	A-20G / A-20J
RAF Great Dunmow	GD	386th BG (Medium)	B-26B/C
RAF Little Walden	LL	409th BG Light / 361st FG	A-20 , A-26?  / P-51
RAF Matching	MC	391st BG Medium	B-26B/C
RAF Ridgewell	RD	381st BG Heavy	B-17
RAF Rivenhall		363rd FG / 397th BG Medium	P-51B / B-26B/C
RAF Stansted Mountfitchet	KT	344th BG Medium	B-26B/C
RAF Wethersfield		416th BG Light	A-20 Havoc
RAF Wormingford		362nd FG / 55th FG	P-47 / P-38 + P-51D

[Tbolt]

15 minutes ago, RJ-WobblyHands said:

My research came up with this list of bases and aircraft, this is what I am working too

 

 

RAF Andrews Field		322d BG (Medium)	B-26B/C
RAF Boreham	JM	394th BG (Medium)	B-26B/C
RAF Boxted	BX	354th FG / 56th FG	P-51B / P-47
RAF Chipping Ongar	JC	387th BG (Medium) /	B-26 / C-47's
RAF Debden	DB	Eagle Squadrons /4th FG	spits / P-47 /P-51
RAF Earls Colne	EC	323rd BG (Medium)	B-26B/C
RAF Gosfield		410th BG (Light)	A-20G / A-20J
RAF Great Dunmow	GD	386th BG (Medium)	B-26B/C
RAF Little Walden	LL	409th BG Light / 361st FG	A-20 , A-26?  / P-51
RAF Matching	MC	391st BG Medium	B-26B/C
RAF Ridgewell	RD	381st BG Heavy	B-17
RAF Rivenhall		363rd FG / 397th BG Medium	P-51B / B-26B/C
RAF Stansted Mountfitchet	KT	344th BG Medium	B-26B/C
RAF Wethersfield		416th BG Light	A-20 Havoc
RAF Wormingford		362nd FG / 55th FG	P-47 / P-38 + P-51D

 

I missed Gosfield and Wethersfeild I checked again - A-20's and C-47's. So I guess you are keeping it to the main types, to reduce the work load a bit  I would suggest doing a P-47C from the 4th FG though and a D and M from the 56th, but then you can never have enough Jugs.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Tbolt

[Graham Boak]

I only mentioned the B-24s to get them out of the way: I thought them a  bit obvious for you to have missed but some of the other types were less obvious.  For the C-47, I was thinking of single ones attached to bases rather than entire units equipped with them.   There is a rather nice book dealing with support aircraft of the 8th (possibly also the 9th?), the title of which I shall dig out for you tomorrow.

 

Re A-26.  The 416th were in France when they were the first group to convert to the A-26B.  However the 386th operated 18 out of Great Dunmow in September as a trial, flying eight missions.  These aircraft were then the first ones delivered to the 416th.  So you can have them after all...

[RJ-WobblyHands]

The Eagle Squadrons which became the 4th FG could be a theme on their own,  and as they are fighters it could be in 1/48th scale...... *note to-self*  keep that one for later  

[tempestfan]

I think for the A-26 you require the asymmetric six gun nose - no idea if Italeri provides it but  Airfix didn't. I second the Airfix for the B-26. It's their best -detailed 72nd legacy kit. Matchbox had an A-20G, but frankly it's rather terrible. Hasegawa did a small cowling  Lightning  (F IIRC ) as did Airfix, but both are 70s tools. Not sure where the 56th FG was based,  but in case they were in Essex, Revell had a very good P-47M.

Edited April 5, 2017 by tempestfan
Adding the 6 to 56th - luckily people understand regardless ;-)

[Tbolt]

35 minutes ago, tempestfan said:

I think for the A-26 you require the asymmetric six gun nose - no idea if Italeri provides it but  Airfix didn't. I second the Airfix for the B-26. It's their best -detailed 72nd legacy kit. Matchbox had an A-20G, but frankly it's rather terrible. Hasegawa did a small cowling  Lightning  (F IIRC ) as did Airfix, but both are 70s tools. Not sure where the 5th FG was based,  but in case they were in Essex, Revell had a very good P-47M.

 

When the M arrived the 56th FG were at Boxted in Essex.

 

You could use the Revell M but I would go for  the Tamiya kit - Quickboost sell the panel inserts for the compressibility flaps and landing light and also the dorsal fin. Pavla sell the C series engine.

[Seahawk]

4 hours ago, tempestfan said:

Matchbox had an A-20G, but frankly it's rather terrible. Hasegawa did a small cowling  Lightning  (F IIRC ) as did Airfix, but both are 70s tools.

 

Hasegawa didn't do an accurate small cowling P-38: their P-38J/L came with a undernose part that looked like the P-38F/H undernose cowling but they overlooked the fact that the fuselage side radiators were different.  Airfix P-38F is dated now but not bad once de-rivetted.

 

Agree Matchbox A-20G best ignored.  I'm fairly certain that any boxing of the MPM/Special Hobby A-20 will include parts on the sprues for the baseline A-20G kit - but of course no appropriate transfers.

[Graham Boak]

The book I mentioned above is "Hacks: Utility planes of the Mighty Eighth" by Jacek Jackiewicz.  Mainly lists, photos and colour profiles, full of modelling ideas.  I don't think I mentioned Beech 18s, Cessna cranes, Vengeances or Lysanders did I?  Sadly the lack of coverage of the Ninth means that most of it will not be relevant to your quest.  A good read anyway, and surely there are some?

[RJ-WobblyHands]

17 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

The book I mentioned above is "Hacks: Utility planes of the Mighty Eighth" by Jacek Jackiewicz.  Mainly lists, photos and colour profiles, full of modelling ideas.  I don't think I mentioned Beech 18s, Cessna cranes, Vengeances or Lysanders did I?  Sadly the lack of coverage of the Ninth means that most of it will not be relevant to your quest.  A good read anyway, and surely there are some?

 

 

Thank you - I will have look for it  

 

You are all amazing !! -  there was me thinking the hard part was finding what aircraft I am going to build, finding the 1/72nd kit followed by getting / making the correct decals for the squadrons based in Essex. Now I see it is really the inconsistencies in the various manufacturers kits, not being true representations of the model they say.. I guess there going to be a bit of aftermarket parts / scratch building to get the correct versions... in for penny - in for a pound, time to sharpen the scapel and get some thin styrene sheet !!

[Graham Boak]

Mainly it is the older kits you will want to avoid, the problem comes in identifying them when re-released in new boxes.  The vast majority of new toolings avoid major errors, though that still can leave a number of areas open to discussion!   Aircraft were and are very variable, even when carrying the same designation, and companies may well get it right for one example but not for the one you want to model, or even one they include markings for.  That's part of the fun.  You may yet find that determining the exact configuration of the one you want to model isn't as easy as you'd expect.  The old (and golden) advice is always to model from a photograph, but that's not always possible or even totally helpful.  (What does the other side look like?)  In the end you'll find the level of research that suits your modelling: I'd suggest that for now, as you are just getting back, don't be too picky at first.  Avoid the clunkers (see comments above) by all means, but just make a couple that take your fancy.

[Cookenbacher]

17 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

RS models are among the best short-run kits, and should be worth considering once you have a couple of kits under your belt.  I don't know how their P-38 fits together - I can imagine that the twin booms may be fiddly but perhaps that's just me being over-cautious.

 

The main difficulty with the RS P-38 is that the cockpit and nose landing gear bay will not both fit at the same time in the forward cupola/fuselage. Quite a bit of material has to be removed. Otherwise, it goes together like a nice short run kit.